Dr. Manhattan was the only one who could kill Rorschach, so he did.

Rorschach came into the story as a tough-guy vigilante with a ridiculous costume and an even more ridiculous moral code. As the story progressed, he became increasingly unhinged and enraged by what he perceived as hypocrisy on the part of others.

Dr. Manhattan is a godlike being who has seen everything there is to see in his travels through time and space. He is not bound by any moral code except his own sense of right and wrong, which may or may not align with ours (it doesn’t).

In the final act of Watchmen, he uses his godlike powers to destroy Ozymandias’ plan to save the world from nuclear war. He then kills Rorschach because he believes that Rorschach would have killed him if given the chance.

When Dr. Manhattan kills Rorschach, he does so because it’s easier than arguing with him about whether or not killing him is justified for saving billions of lives

Last modified: October 13, 2022